Heath Devours Sin Eater

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Aussie thesp Heath Ledger (The Patriot) will star in 20th Century Fox's Sin Eater for Oscar-winning writer-director Brian Helgeland. Ledger and Helgeland previously worked together on this past spring's medieval romp, A Knight's Tale. THR claims Ledger's character is "a young, conflicted priest tracking down a 'sin eater,' who gives people absolution outside of the church by literally eating their sins." Variety says that Ledger's young priest "assists a female detective in investigating a case involving a corpse covered with religious symbols." Variety describes Sin Eater, which Ledger will be paid low-to mid-seven-figures to star in, as "a romantic thriller with supernatural overtones."

Ledger's casting finally gives Sin Eater the green-light after being in development hell for the past five years. Antonio Banderas was previously attached to star when the film was almost produced in 1999. Fox shelled out seven figures for Helgeland's pitch back in 1996. Heath Ledger will next be seen in the prison drama Monster's Ball and a remake of the adventure classic Four Feathers. He was recently in negotiations to star in Our Sunshine, a biopic of Aussie outlaw Ned Kelly. Variety also claims that "Ledger's participation in Sin Eater would seemingly preclude a role that he'd been recently circling in Bulletproof Monk, starring Chow Yun-Fat."